1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a smoke shield assembly for a cooking appliance and, more particularly, to a magnetically hinged smoke shield assembly for an over-the range oven, the assembly being secured to the oven by magnets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various exhaust and smoke/fume deflector systems for cooking appliances or other apparatus are known. The following patents depict several types of such systems. U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,331 shows an oven mounted above a counter top range, the oven having a pivotally movable duct that serves as a conduit for transmitting fumes, smoke and odors from the oven to an exhaust system disposed in the counter top range located below. U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,704 is directed to a hood for a pull-out drawer type of console range, the hood being constructed so as to be easily converted to allow ducted or duct-free discharge. U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,990 discloses a collapsible canopy for use in a laboratory for directing laboratory fumes to an exhaust duct. The collapsible canopy is designed to be mounted above a desk or tabletop and includes a top plate pivotally connected by a hinge to an exhaust duct. The canopy further includes downwardly depending sides secured to the top plate by hinges. The canopy is movable from a collapsed position, in which the top plate hangs vertically under the influence of gravity, to an open position, in which the top plate extends horizontally and is maintained in that position by the vertically extending sides. U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,002 discloses a pivotally movable damper mounted in a hood above a range and movable about a damper rod between open and closed positions. The damper is supported for pivotal movement by a pair of outwardly extending stubs secured in apertures in the hood. U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,261 discloses a ventilator system for a microwave oven mounted above a conventional electric range. U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,521 shows an automatic damper for a ventilating system pivotally mounted in a duct or louver that includes a magnet to attract the damper in a closed position.
Patents which depict various magnetically attachable devices are as follows. U.S. Pat. No. 2,855,242 discloses a portable visor or sunscreen adapted for magnetic attachment to an interior metal trim strip adjacent the upper portion of an automobile windshield. U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,404 discloses a support assembly for attaching a sun shade or visor to a frame portion of an automobile above the windshield wherein the support assembly is magnetically attached to a support plate secured to the headliner of the automobile. U.S. Pat. No 3,043,289 is directed to a safety guard for concealing the petcocks of a gas range from small children. The safety guard includes a housing having top, bottom, front and side walls wherein the housing is secured to enclose on-off valves of a gas range by a plurality of magnets attached to the housing by bolts or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,473, shows a ring-shaped housing for a filter that may be attached to a fan grill by permanent magnets.
None of the above patents teach or suggest a smoke/and fume deflector that can be readily mounted to an underside of an over-the-range microwave or conventional oven or to other over-the-range appliances or devices in which the deflector is also easy to clean, inexpensive and long lasting.